ded on the cake sitting on the coffee table. The carefully piped letters spell

ng on a pair of jeans, and Natalie, wrapping one of hi

aded, his voice desperate

what? That my boyfriend and my best friend are two scumb

talie, her eyes sweeping over the woman she had trusted with all her secrets. Th

," Alexis said, the words t

lips as she buttoned the shirt. "Oh, please. Sister? You

land, but the pain was a distant, secondary sensation to the r

, bitter sound. She pointed a trem

voice finally cracking with fur

flicted. "Alexis, come on. This ap

ere her purse lay on a chair, snatched it up, and rummaged i

of the room, and with a flick of her wrist, t

r that echoed in the tense silence. The

aid, her voice dropping

ave. She wouldn't spend another second in

phone buzzed in her purse. The sharp, insiste

lowed with a picture of her smi

alie freeze. The timing was a crue

n room. She took a deep, shaky breath, trying to force he

, M

ie! Are you with Kevin? I was just calling to remind you about the family dinn

wound. Announce their engagement. The ring box was t

her shoulder. Kevin and Natalie were watching her, their expressions a mixture of

r know. Not like this. Not

ightness she didn't feel. "W

"Don't forget you promised me you'd get married t

ame easily, a desperate shield. "Kevin's on an important wor

dear. Kiss Kev

e her mother coul

ent was thick with irony. It was broken

cking little sound,

something i

he didn't walk. She ran. Down the three flights of stairs, her bare

ysical blow, crisp and clean. I

ree tries to unlock her car. She slid into the driver's seat and

g wheel. She wanted to scream

me. Her eyes we

eech of tires, she pulled out of the parking spot and drove away, not

through her windshield. She had no destination. Sh